


What goes up

by Munnin, yakalskovich



Series: Necessary Pebbles verse [10]
Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: Eadu has terrible weather and horrible landscapes, M/M, the force is with them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-09-25 20:00:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9841700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Munnin/pseuds/Munnin, https://archiveofourown.org/users/yakalskovich/pseuds/yakalskovich
Summary: After a climb to clear their minds, Bodhi and Galen talk about the future, and what must be done for them to have one.





	

Climbing down is often more difficult and dangerous than going up; you follow gravity, but not too much. Too much would be deadly.

In the morning, Bodhi and Galen had started out with Bodhi's personal possessions in backpacks, and the most valuable and important cargo on anti-gravity floaters. Much of the way, they had been rappelling down ropes. Now, they were taking a break in sight of the base, but still quite far away.

"We should do something about our rope burns," Galen said.

"Or bring better gloves next time." Bodhi pointed out, flexing his aching hands. He tied off the antigrav crates that had been following them down like a string of balloons. Sadly a lot of him was aching as the medic's numbing agent wore off.

"Take off the gloves and give me your hands" Galen said, getting a small dented tin from his pocket. "Lyra used to swear by this to keep calluses from breaking open and bleeding, which was always a danger for the kind of people she used to take on expeditions."

Bodhi ripped the wrist closure open and peeled off the gloves. His hands weren’t too bad, not blistered yet but red and sore. He held his hands out to Galen, the hickey on his wrist peeking out of his sleeve.

Galen peeled off his own gloves, and took the hand with the marked wrist in his own. From the tin, he scooped a small piece of fresh-smelling wax and starts rubbing it over the reddened spots on Bodhi's palms.

"Lyra's trick?" Bodhi asked softly, not sure if it was something Galen would want to talk about.

"I learned about this from her," Galen nodded, carefully ministering to Bodhi's hands, "but she assured me every climber used something similar, because bloody hands are not helpful." With his thumb, he rubbed the wax over the dip between Bodhi’s palm and wrist. "Or raw, red ones. It's always better to have a good grip and feel confident in one's body."

Bodhi curled his fingers around Galen's, stroking the back of his hand a little. "She sounds like someone always boldly charging ahead. Someone worth pushing yourself to follow."

"Yes, Bodhi, that is exactly what she was," Galen said, hand closing around Bodhi's. "Many people didn't get what we were like, the famous scientist and his wife, but really, she was the strong one, between us. Krennic of course never understood her. But you do."

"There are people who make us want to be better. Not by disapproving or being critical. Just because they're them and you want them to smile. My grandmother was like that." Bodhi cupped Galen's cheek with his free hand. "Is it okay that I ask about her?"

"It is," Galen said. "It has been fifteen years. I am mostly grateful to have known her, now, even though I still miss her at odd times. What bitterness remains is all for Krennic and his chokehold on me."

"Tell me how I can help?" Bodhi took both of Galen's hands in his own. "I may be a pilot without a ship but that won't last for long."

"Bodhi," Galen said, lifting their joined hands to kiss Bodhi's knuckles. "Now I have you to live up to for. You are a pilot without a ship, but you'd somehow take on Orson Krennic. You are amazingly brave, you know? Not like me. I've allowed my research to be abused by the Empire to build a super-weapon that can destroy entire planets. That is what we are doing here, this important and top secret research. And what's worst, we are using kyber to power it."

There it was, the worst, out in the open. Bodhi had been about to protest that he wasn’t brave, that he wouldn't fight but take Galen and run, as far as they needed to run to outrun Krennic, but then Galen kept talking. Bodhi looked like a landed fish for a moment, his mouth open wide; then he shook himself and pulled Galen into his arms, hugging him tightly. They killed his wife, took him away from his child -- and now this. Krennic and the Empire had made Galen responsible for such brutal madness, and made Bodhi responsible, too. He had aided them, carried the kyber here, with Jedhean blood on it. He held Galen tight, letting the sheer horror sink in, while Galen clung to him.

"That is what the empire really is," Galen finally said, quietly, against Bodhi’s shoulder. "Not their silly overdramatic damaged Sith lord, not their aspiration to an order so perfect not a boot can be lost -- this is it. Wholesale destruction and total contempt for life, total contempt for the Force. But every one of their 'little cogs' is a person. You, or me, or any random Stormtrooper."

"Cogs in their murder machine." Bodhi whispered, his voice rough with guilt and anger and fear.

"That is what we are to them," Galen said, still clinging to him. "That is why they put that badge on our uniforms. But still, the Force will find a way..."

Galen had more faith in the Force than Bodhi ever did, but that was one of the things he loved about Galen. He stroked Galen's back, just holding him and kissing his hair. "We'll find a way." A way to live.

"To get away, and to do something about the murder machine," Galen said. "It has its weaknesses."

Bodhi nodded and caressed Galen's cheek, pushing his hair back from his face. "Is it something we can exploit?"

"Yes," Galen said. "Or rather, the rebels can. And the Force gave you that straight connection to Saw Gerrera and my Jyn, even if it's barred by angry brothers. So yes, we can. Bring that thing down, free ourselves, finally find a way to use my technology for good at last!"

"You'll have to come with me," Bodhi urged. "The imperial navy is scouring Jedha for him. If I go looking too, the empire will know." He'd have to defect, that was the only way.

Galen clung to him. "We should not decide anything yet," he said. "If I go missing, Krennic will scour the whole universe for me, not just Jedha. But yes, I am ready to go with you. You are what I had been waiting for all these years -- and so much more!" He looked at Bodhi's face, maroon eyes shimmering. "My lovely Bodhi. My pilot."

Bodhi kissed him deeply, because words are too complicated, too small for everything he felt that moment. Galen kissed him back, just as deeply, as he had run out of words as well. Everything he had hoped and doubted and pondered and dreamed has come to a head in this one lovely man in his arms. A way out, a way to right the wrongs he was made to do, a way back to his Jyn, even a way to finally make Lyra's death count against Krennic. And then, a chance to love and happiness and good work into the bargain, when all else would be done.

Bodhi didn’t break the kiss till there was no air left in his lungs. He pressed his forehead to Galen's, his mind already on the practical side of their plans. "I'll submit the damage report on the ship as soon as we get back. The navy can rule on what happens to it sooner rather than later. With luck, there'll be a new ship waiting for me when my medical leave ends. From there, we can plan."

"With your ship, we have wings, even if it looks more like a turtle," Galen said. "However, nobody takes any notice of these things. That is the advantage of a good bureaucracy -- with the right codes, you get where you need to be."

"I'll reach out to my brothers next time I'm on Jedha. Face to face will be painful but safer." After all, Bodhi could ask for leave to visit family, and after saving their chief scientist's life, surely they'd let him.

"Yes," Galen said. "With that last little step covered in secret, we really do have all we need to break free." He leaned in for another kiss.

Bodhi kissed him back. It was dangerous and terrifying, as the risk they would be taking could easily be fatal for them both. But the reward would be worth it. A thought caught him out, his self doubt milling. "Your daughter, she might not be happy to meet me."

"My daughter hasn't seen me in almost sixteen years," Galen said, "and has been raised by rebels. When we are done with all the matters of life and death and galactic importance, we can tell her in good time, and I'm sure she will accept us."

Bodhi nodded and tried to put the thought aside. Things rarely worked out that simple in his experience. The Empire didn't outright forbid relations between men, at least at Bodhi's level, but it was a cultural taboo here in ways it never was on Jedha. He was used to having to hide, to settle for semi-anonymous fumbles, but doesn't want to hide loving Galen forever -- not once they'd be free.

Galen pulled him close and held him, feeling Bodhi's doubt and pain in the silence. Where one of them was certain, the other would be afraid -- where one needed support, the other was strong. "We are made for each other," he murmured, "so yes, we will claim it, in good new civilised times, and not hide loving each other."

Bodhi buried his face in Galen's neck, feeling the warmth and promise in his voice. "I love you, Galen. With all my heart. And I'll do whatever it takes to be with you." Not matter what it would cost them.

"We will have to shift the entire galaxy to be free," Galen whispered into Bodhi's hair, "but we'll get there. And I'm a scientist. I know how leverage works."

"And as a pilot I know how to plan." Bodhi answered in turn, kissing Galen's hair. "We'll work out what he need and how to get it before we act."

"We will," Galen said. "That is a promise."

He leaned into Bodhi's warmth, sighing deeply. Everything in his life was still painful and difficult, but finally, there was hope again. Bodhi ran his hands over Galen's back, eyes closed and already mentally searching through his contacts. Who could get the codes, who could set them up where and went. He tried to still his spinning mental gears by leaning back to kiss Galen.

"You make me strong," Galen said softly, "and I make you strong. That is as it should be." He follows this with another kiss. Bodhi knew he wasn't really all that brave, but he was good at planning. They would look after each other. 

Bodhi cupped Galen's cheek, hugging him again. "Just two little pebbles against the whole Empire."

Galen kissed him again, slow and lovingly. "Two necessary pebbles just where they should be, the Force swirling along them just so," he said. "We can do it."

Bodhi took Galen's hand and guided them to sit on the edge of next descent. It was a good spot to stop and collect their thoughts. Exactly where they were - on the edge of a cliff facing a frightening and deep future. Bodhi leaned his head on Galen's shoulder, fingers entwined. "We can do it," he echoed softly.

They still had two weeks. Two weeks to be themselves before jumping off their metaphoric cliff. Two weeks to plan the way down.


End file.
